Adoption

It is the fundamental right of every child to belong to a family; this principle underpins the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which the United Kingdom ratified in 1991. Where children cannot live with their birth families, for whatever reason, society has a duty to provide them with a fresh start and where appropriate a permanent alternative home. Adoption is one means of giving children an opportunity to start again.

Adoption has become firmly entrenched in the social fabric since enactment of the first adoption legislation; many thousands of children have benefited from the generosity and commitment of adoptive families. It continues to provide an important service for children, offering a positive and beneficial outcome. Research shows that adopted children generally make very good progress through their childhood and into adulthood and do considerably better than children who have remained in the care system throughout most of their childhood.

Adoption is a way of providing a new family for a child when living with his own family is not possible. It is the means of giving a child an opportunity to start again; for many children, adoption may be their only chance of experiencing family life. To be eligible for adoption, the child must be under the age of 18 years and for whom returning home to his birth parents is not possible. Should the child be married or if he has been married, he cannot be adopted.

An Adoption Order severs all legal ties with the birth family and confers parental rights and responsibilities on the new adoptive family. The birth parents no longer have any legal rights over the child and they are not entitled to claim him back. Your child becomes a full member of your family; he takes your surname and assumes the same rights and privileges as if he had been born to you, including the right of inheritance.

Bringing up a child can be mutually rewarding and great fun, as well as being hard work and a big responsibility. This is especially so when you choose to bring up a child who was not born to you. If you are intersted in adopting a child, you should speak to your Health and Social Services Trust or a registered voluntary adoption agency. Contact details for Health and Social Services Trusts and registered voluntary adoption agencies can be found at Domestic Contacts.

Introduction to Intercountry Adoption

Although there are many children in Northern Ireland who are looking for an adoptive family, there are also many children overseas who need homes and intercountry adoption may be their only opportunity to belong to a permanent family. For humanitarian reasons the Government allows intercountry adoption to proceed where:

If you wish to adopt a child from overseas you should speak to your Health and Social Services Trust or a voluntary adoption agency registered to work on intercountry adoption. Contact details can be found at Intercountry Contacts.